1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a handhole cover and particularly to a handhole cover for a utility pole. More particularly, this invention relates to a handhole cover which is easily installed on the utility pole to cover the handhole and which deters theft or vandalism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Utility poles such as highway, signal, street lighting poles, etc., are normally positioned on a concrete foundation which has an electrical conduit provided therein which contains electrical wires running therethrough. The electrical wires continue to the top of the pole where the lighting fixture is located. Normally, the utility poles are provided with an access opening or handhole spaced above the foundation which is large enough so that an electrician can reach therein to attach the wires in the concrete foundation to the wires extending upwardly through the pole to the light fixture.
Many types of handhole covers have been previously provided in an attempt to provide a handhole cover which is easily and quickly secured to the utility pole or removed therefrom. A problem exists in that vandals and thieves may remove the same. Thus it is desirable to provide a cover for a handhole in a utility pole which is not only easy to install but which deters the theft or vandalism thereof.
A handhole cover is provided for a utility pole in which the handhole or access opening of the utility pole has a width, a height which is greater than the width, and a peripheral lip positioned in the opening which has inner and outer ends. The apparatus of this invention generally comprises a flat cover plate having a size greater than the peripheral lip so as to extend across the outer end of the lip. The cover plate includes a front surface, a back surface and a central opening formed therein. The back surface of the cover plate has an inwardly projecting shoulder or rib which is adapted to be received within the outer end of the peripheral lip. The cover plate has a centrally disposed, hollow, generally C-shaped first barrel extending inwardly from the back surface thereof with the first barrel having spaced-apart side wall portions which define a gap therebetween which is approximately 90xc2x0 in the preferred embodiment. An elongated latch bar, having opposite ends, an outer end and an inner end is also provided with the latch bar having a centrally disposed cylindrical second barrel extending outwardly from the outer surface thereof which is receivable in the first barrel of the cover plate. The latch bar has a centrally disposed, internally threaded opening which registers with the central opening in the cover plate. The second barrel of the latch bar has a shoulder or web protruding radially outwardly therefrom which is received by the gap of the first barrel. A bolt extends through the central opening in the cover plate, through the first barrel, and is threadably received by the internally threaded opening of the second barrel of the latch bar. In the preferred embodiment, an elongated coil spring, having inner and outer ends, embraces the bolt between the flat cover and the outer end of the barrel of the latch bar. The inner end of the coil spring is in frictional engagement with the outer end of the second barrel of the latch bar whereby rotational movement of the bolt will normally cause the latch bar to be rotated with the bolt.
The cover of this invention is mounted on the handhole of the utility pole by first positioning the latch bar in a generally vertically disposed position so that the latch bar may be inserted through the peripheral lip so that the ends of the latch bar are initially disposed inwardly of the inner end of the peripheral lip. The bolt is then threadably rotated in a clockwise position with the frictional engagement of the spring against the outer end of the second barrel of the latch bar causing the latch bar to rotate 90xc2x0 with the bolt until the web of the latch bar engages one of the side wall portions of the first barrel which ensures that the latch bar will be maintained in a horizontally disposed position so as to extend across the width of the inner end of the lip. Continued rotation of the threaded bolt in a clockwise position causes the latch bar to be moved outwardly towards the cover plate until the ends of the latch bar engage the inner ends of the peripheral lip.
The cover is easily and quickly installed on the utility pole and is easily removed therefrom providing the person has a screwdriver, Allen wrench or other tamper-resistant tool (hereinafter xe2x80x9ctoolxe2x80x9d). Normally, vandals or thieves will not have a tool of the type described readily available, so theft and vandalism is deterred.
When it is desired to remove the cover, the tool is brought into engagement with the outer end of the threaded bolt and is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. The latch bar will initially not be rotated upon rotation of the bolt since the ends of the latch bar are in engagement with the inner end of the peripheral lip. When the bolt has been sufficiently loosened so that the latch bar can move out of engagement with the inner end of the peripheral lip, the latch bar will rotate with the bolt until the web engages the other side wall of the first barrel on the cover plate so that the latch bar will be held in a vertically disposed relationship with respect to the handhole. The entire assembly may then be removed from the utility pole.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved handhole cover.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a handhole cover for a utility pole which is quickly and easily installed on the utility pole and which is quickly and easily removed therefrom providing the person has a screwdriver.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a handhole cover for a utility pole which includes co-acting means to enable the latch bar of the cover to be rotated 90xc2x0 to facilitate installation and removal.
A further object of the invention is to provide a handhole cover for a utility pole which requires a screwdriver, Allen wrench or other tamper-resistant tool to remove the same from the utility pole which deters theft and vandalism.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an invention of the type described which is easily installed on and removed from the utility pole providing the worker has an Allen wrench, screwdriver or other tamper-resistant tool.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a handhole cover of the type described wherein means is provided for permitting and limiting the pivotal movement of a latch bar from a vertically disposed position to a horizontally disposed position and vice versa.
A further object of the invention is to provide a handhole cover which deters theft and vandalism.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.